When NFL coaches put you “on the board,” it has nothing to do with the scoreboard. It’s a quarterback’s greatest proving ground long before he suits up for the gridiron. At the 2026 NFL Combine, PSU quarterback Drew Allar sat across from Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike McCarthy and answered all the questions on protections and concepts. Allar left with one verdict: “I hope I passed.”

When CBS Sports’ Aditi Kinkhabwala asked Allar which coach pushed him hardest across all his Combine meetings, Allar didn’t blink.

“I would say Coach McCarthy with the Steelers,” he said. “We weren’t necessarily up on the board when we did it. It was just kind of like this and I was explaining a lot about our protections and a couple concepts he was asking me about. It was really fun, though. Those are the conversations I love. I love talking ball.”

McCarthy, a Pittsburgh native, couldn’t let Allar’s Cleveland roots slide. He asked if the quarterback was a Cleveland Browns and Buckeyes fan. Allar confirmed it and also noted that McCarthy didn’t trash-talk. But what was most impressive was that he survived the exchange with McCarthy. 

Drew Allar had a route open to the NFL before this as well. Had Allar declared for the 2025 Draft, he could’ve been a top 10-15 pick. In 2024, he delivered his career best: 3,327 passing yards with 24 touchdowns against just 8 picks. He also added 302 yards and 6 touchdowns on the ground. But the star wasn’t satisfied. He went back to Penn State for another run. But that’s where everything went wrong.

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A broken ankle against Northwestern six games into 2025 ended his season, along with his college career. In those six outings, he posted a 64.8% completion percentage for 1,100 yards, 8 touchdowns, and 3 picks. That injury severely tanked his draft stock. But Allar has since bounced back from that injury and has geared up to throw at the combine.

Allar is also making a case for his intelligence, emphasizing his football IQ to boost his draft stock.

“I’m learning as much football as I can,” Allar said. “I’ve taken a lot of pride in just trying to [have] the highest football IQ I possibly can every year. I try to improve on it every year.”

Ultimately, what becomes of Drew Allar’s meeting with Mike McCarthy remains to be seen. But this is just one thread in a broader quarterback evaluation. The Steelers are determined to find their answer, leaving nothing to chance.

Mike McCarthy’s talent hunt is wide open

Drew Allar seems to be just one piece of the larger puzzle Mike McCarthy is trying to solve in his first year with the Steelers. For their quarterback search, LSU’s Garrett Nussmeier has generated a lot of Pittsburgh buzz at the Combine. What’s more, Nussmeier’s journey is similar to Allar’s.

Nussmeier’s 2024 season was elite and drew genuine interest from the NFL. That season, he threw for 4,052 yards and 29 touchdowns against 12 picks. He also added three rushing touchdowns to his name. But an abdominal injury plagued his 2025 campaign. Playing in just 9 games, he posted 1,927 yards and 12 touchdowns against 5 interceptions, raising consistency and durability questions.

Still, many analysts cite his pocket awareness and command as starter-ready. A recent mock draft even projected Pittsburgh signing Nussmeier in round-three. Meanwhile, Mike McCarthy has also met with Alabama’s Ty Simpson and left the quarterback visibly impressed. 

The urgency behind this quarterback search is hard to overstate. Pittsburgh’s offense averaged just 202.4 passing yards per game last season, ranking 22nd in the league per Fox rankings. They also had just a 40% third-down efficiency. All of this came under the leadership of the 42-year-old, 4x MVP quarterback Aaron Rodgers.

But Rodgers’ 2026 involvement with the Steelers remains a hot topic of debate, with no solid answer in sight until Rodgers breaks his silence. In his place, Mike McCarthy has the former 6th-round pick Will Howard. The 24-year-old watched all season from the sidelines nursing a hand injury, and still needs considerable time to develop into an NFL-caliber starter. Pittsburgh needs a veteran quarterback (if Rodgers doesn’t return) or a plug-and-play answer through the Draft.

Steel City’s non-QB interview list also reflects the roster needs. So far, they’ve met with Alabama offensive lineman Kadyn Proctor, Miami cornerback Keionte Scott, Ohio State safety Caleb Downs, Indiana cornerback D’Angelo Ponds, Cincinnati linebacker Jake Golday, and many more. The Steelers have notably met with at least 14 wide receivers as well, signalling a strong interest in revamping the offense. The to-do list extends well beyond quarterback.

For now, Drew Allar’s meeting with Mike McCarthy remains a sign of where Pittsburgh’s QB room could be going. McCarthy has already prepared multiple scenarios for his offense depending on who’s under center. Where all of these interviews and offseason plans leave Pittsburgh heading into the 2026 season, we can only wait and see.